Aside from Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi who is facing charges of having paid for sex with underage prostitute Ruby, which he denies, three close associates of Berlusconi are now facing charges of aiding and abetting prostitution.
Prosecuting magistrates have not minced their words, stating that it is their belief that the three people concerned effectively set up and ran a brothel for Italy’s prime minister.
Running this personal house of ill repute took place, prosecutors say, in the style of a small business. The roles of the three principal players were quite distinct.
Talent Scout, Human Resources, Paymaster
According to prosecutors, kicking off the prostitution supply chain was, one Lele Mora acted in a sort of recruitment capacity, or as a talent scout, or whatever, and identified the working girls.
Then, allegedly, close friend and Berlusconi family TV channel news anchor Emilio Fede, in his role, presumably, as human resources director, established whether the girls in question were, in the vernacular, up for it, and ‘reliable’ (read: would keep their mouths shut).
Finally, it is claimed that Lombardy regional councillor Nicole Minetti acted as paymaster and sorted out, er, logistics aspects.
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
Berlusconi’s chief defence lawyer, Niccolò Ghedini, who also happens to double as a politician in his spare time the Berlusconi government, by the way, is, reportedly, rather unhappy with the prosecutors hypothesis regarding three stooges running a brothel for his client.
Meanwhile, two young ladies who, may or may not have frequented the now infamous bunga bunga soirées, are bringing a civil action against Berlusconi for damage to their reputations. In their home towns, these two women are regarded as ‘escorts’, or, in other words, as prostitutes.
While it may be hard to believe at times, this is reality we are talking about, not some sordid novel, or political thriller.
And the Bunga Bunga Parties?
Still in full swing, by all accounts. According to press reports, the venue has changed, but the bunga bunga raunchiness has not. Other close friends of Italy’s most senior politician claimed in an intercepted telephone conversation that Berlusconi was ill.
Actually, I can’t believe I’ve just written about this seedy soap opera situation.
